LOSS OF THE CENTAUR MAN-OF-WAR,

1782, BY CAPTAIN INGLEField.

A FLEET of considerable force had been sent to America and the West Indies to cope with the French, during the war with the revolted colonies, and had gained a signal victory in April 1782. The fleet, in returning homewards, experienced unequalled disasters, of which the following narrative shews a melancholy instance.

"The Centaur left Jamaica rather in a leaky condition, keeping two hand-pumps going, and, when it blew fresh, sometimes a spell at the chainpump. But I had no apprehension that she was unable to encounter a common gale of wind.

A storm came on in the evening of the 16th of September 1782, when the ship was prepared for the worst weather usually occurring in the same latitudes; the mainsail was reefed and set, the top-gallant-masts struck, and, though it did not at that time blow very strong, the mizen-yard was lowered down.

But towards night it blew a gale of wind, and the ship made so much water it was necessary to turn all hands up to the pumps. The leak continuing to increase, I entertained thoughts of trying the ship before the sea, and, happy should I

probably have been in doing so, but the impropriety of leaving the convoy except in the last extremity, and the hopes of the weather growing moderate, weighed against the opinion of its being right.

About two in the morning the wind lulled, and we flattered ourselves that the gale was breaking. Soon after there was much thunder and lightning from the south-east, with rain, when strong gusts of wind began to blow, which obliged me to haul up the mainsail, the ship being then under bare poles. Scarce was this done, when a gust, exceeding in violence every thing of the kind I had ever seen, or could conceive, laid the ship on her beam-ends. The water forsook the hold and appeared between decks, so as to fill the men's hammocks to leeward, the ship lay motionless, and, to all appearance, irrecoverably overset. The water fast increasing, forced through the cells of the ports, and scuttled the ports themselves inwards, from the pressure of the ship. Immediate directions were given to cut away the main and mizen-masts, trusting, when the ship righted, to be able to wear her. On cutting one or two lanyards, the mizen-mast went first over, but without producing the smallest effect on the ship, and, on cutting the lanyard of one shroud, the mainmast followed. I had next the mortification to see the

foremast and bowsprit also go over. On this the ship immediately righted, with great violence, and the motion was so quick that it was difficult for the men to work the pumps. Three guns broke loose on the main deck, which it took some time to secure. In attempting to do so several men were maimed, and every moveable was destroyed, either by shot thrown loose from the lockers, or

the wreck of the deck. The officers, who had left their beds naked in the morning when the ship overset, had not an article of clothes to put on, nor could their friends supply them.

Before the masts had been ten minutes over the side, I was informed that the tiller had broke short in the rudder-head, and, before the chocks could be placed, the rudder itself was gone. Thus we lay, at the mercy of the wind and sea, under accumulated disasters. Yet I had one comfort, in finding that the pumps, if any thing, reduced the water in the hold, and, as the morning of the 17th advanced, the weather became more moderate.

At day-light I saw two line-of-battle ships to leeward, one of which had lost her mainmast, and the other her foremast and bowsprit. It was the general opinion on board, that the latter was the Canada, and the former the Glorieux. The Ramillies was not in sight, and only about fifteen sail of merchantmen.

About seven in the morning, another line-ofbattle ship was seen ahead, which I soon distinguished to be the Ville de Paris, with all her masts standing. I immediately ordered a signal of distress to be made, by hoisting the ensign on the stump of the mizen-mast union downwards, and firing one of the forecastle guns. But the ensign, which was the only one we had remaining, blew away soon after being hoisted; however, I had the satisfaction of seeing the Ville de Paris wear and stand towards us. Several of the merchant ships also approached, and those that could, hailed us, and offered their assistance. Depending on the king's ship, I only thanked them, desiring, if they joined Admiral Graves, to acquaint him with our condition. I had not the smallest doubt of

the Ville de Paris coming to us, as she appeared not to have suffered in the least by the storm, and, having seen her wear, we knew that she was under government of her helm. At this time also the weather was so moderate that the merchantmen set their topsails. But the Ville de Paris approaching within two miles to windward, passed us, which being observed by one of the merchantmen, she wore, and came under our stern, offering to carry any message to her. I desired the master to acquaint Captain Wilkinson that the Centaur had lost her rudder, as well as her masts, that she made a great deal of water, and I requested him to remain with her until the weather became moderate. I afterwards saw this merchantman approach near enough to speak with the Ville de Paris, but I fear that the condition of the latter was much worse than it appeared to be, as she continued ou the same tack.

Meantime all the quarter-deck guns were thrown overboard, and the whole of those, except six which had overset, of the main-deck. The ship, lying in the trough of the sea, laboured prodigiously. I got over one of the small anchors with a boom and several gun-carriages, veered out from the head-door, with a large hawser to keep the ship's bow to the sea. But this, with a top-gallant-sail set on the stump of the mizen-mast, had not the desired effect.

As the evening came on it grew hazy and blew in strong squalls. We lost sight of the Ville de Paris, but thought certainly to see her in the morning; and the night was passed in constant labour at the pumps. Sometimes when the wind lulled the water diminished, then blowing strong, and the sea rising, the water increased.

Towards the morning of the 18th I was informed that there was seven feet water on the kelson; that one of the winches was broke; that the two spare ones would not fit, and that the hand-pumps were choked. These circumstances were sufficiently alarming, but, on opening the after-hold to get up some rum for the people, we found our condition much more so.

It is necessary to observe, that the Centaur's after-hold was enclosed by a bulk-head at the after-part of the well. There were all the dry provisions and ship's rum stowed upon twenty chaldron of coals, which unfortunately had been started in this part of the ship, and by them the pumps were continually choked. The chainpumps were so much wore as to be of little use; and the leathers, which, had the well been clear, would have lasted twenty days or more, were all consumed in eight. At this time it was remarked that the water had not a passage to the well, for here there was so much that it washed against the orlop deck. All the rum, extending to twentysix puncheons, all the provisions, which were for two months in casks, were stove, having floated from side to side until there was not a whole cask remaining. Even most of the staves found on clearing the hold were broke in two or three pieces. The fore-hold also presented a prospect of perishing. Should the ship swim we had no water but what remained in the ground-tier, and over this all the wet provisions and butts filled with salt water were floating, and with so much violence, that no man could go into the hold with safety.

There was nothing left for us to try but baling with buckets at the fore-hatchway and fish-room; and twelve large canvas buckets were immediately